Setting up the Nursery
Questions to Ask Yourself
A baby’s nursery can become the heart of a new family’s home, especially for a baby’s first year. Because of this significance we’ve decided to give some tips to help parents prepare the nursery as best they can. When planning the baby nursery, it’s important for families to bear these three questions in mind:
- “What do I need that can make daily tasks easier?”
- “What do I need that can make my family and I more comfortable in the nursery?”
- “Will I use it, or will it sit there?”
Questions such as these can help families in planning their nursery to prevent filling the room with things they don’t need and promote only getting the things they need to have their daily lives go a bit more smoothly.
Ease, Comfort and Usage!
So, what could a parent use daily to make tasks easier and provide them more comfort? This is a question with different answers, depending on the family’s personality and lifestyle. As an example, we at Metropolitan Doulas know some parents have a ritual that requires calming background music in the nursery, like songs from the ‘Peaceful Piano’ playlist on Spotify. Others may need easy access to their Netflix and a littlebeam Nursing Pillow. It’s important for parents to keep in mind that they will be in the nursery to feed, change, soothe, and bond with their baby. A newborn won’t be very interested in flashy and fluffy toys. Your baby won’t notice that you traded in a plush toy for a nursing pillow, we promise.
In the beginning months, the emotional, mental and physical comfort of the parents are one of the most important things during that time, so when building the nursery environment make sure it is created for parents and baby. If the parent finds comfort in using a tablet while feeding their baby, then we count that as a necessity for the nursery.
Also, Don’t Forget the Basics
Now that we’ve gone over the things to keep in mind when putting together a nursery, here is a list of the basics that we recommend for all nurseries when getting started:
- Crib/Bassinet
- Flat, firm mattress
- Fitted sheets for mattress
- Comfortable chair
- Nursing pillow
- Nightstand
- A place to store and organize clothes
- Trash bin
- Diaper changing station (diapers, wipes, powder, ect.)
- Extra storage (drawers, caddies, bins, shelves, ect.
- Entertainment for the parent (music, laptop, tablet, ect.)
- Non-toxic cleaning wipes (safe to use around children and pets)
Every Family is Different!
A nursery room should provide parents a place of comfort, growth and strength and should be set up with that goal in mind. This is meant to serve as a guide to prepare parents, but every family is different so make your nursery work best for you. Also, remember that it’s okay if things get a little unorganized- raising a family will be messy at times!
If you are determined to stay organized but are having a hard time juggling everything, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Metropolitan Doulas for help!
